Apparatus for handling glass sheets



Dec. 24, 1929. w. G. KOUPAL Err Al.-

APPARATUS FOR-HANDLING GIASS SHEETS F11-ed Nov. so, 1926- 4 sheets-sheet 11 MTI Ecc. 24, 1 92'9. w. G.` KQUPAI. Er Al'.

' APPARATUS FOR HANDLING GLASS SHEETS FledNov. 5o, 1926 4 sheets-sheen 2 'INVENTORi Dec. 24, 1929. w. G..KoUPAl Er AL Y A 15-741026 APFARATUS FOR HANDLING `GLASS s'H'Em-s l Filed Nov. 30, 192s 4 sneets-sneen a INVENToR @auf Dec. 24; 1929. Y w. G. KOUPAL ET AL 1,741,026

APPARATUS FOR HANDLING GLASS SHEETS Filed-NwY 3o, 192e 4 sheets-sheet 4 drawings, wherein Fatentedl i Dee.. 25;,v 1229 Waarna e. zomer., or. mammary rrr man Josera Bansin-w, or Houns'rnan,

. PEETNSLVANI, ASSIGNQES T@ PITTSBURGE FLAT?. GLASS COMPANY, if COR/POM- .APPARATUS E03 HANDLING- @LASS SHEETS Application tiled ovember 39, 1926. Serial No. 153,709.

The invention relates to apparatus for liano dling glass sheets as produced in a continuous vertical drawing operation, such as that shown and described inthe Koupal Fatent No; 1,598,730 ot September 7, 1926, wherein the glass is drawn upward through a leer between opposing pairs of rollers, above the upper end of which leer, the glass is cut into lengths. rlhe sheets as thus cut are carried by the .operator to a suitable rack, where they are stacked at a slight angle to the vertical. The racks-are provided with wheels vifor moving them easily, or are lifted and moved byineans of an overhead crane. The object of the present invention is to reduce the labor of supporting the sheets by hand as they are cut ofi' and of moving them over to the rack and to make the transfersafer for the operator..

The sheets sometimes break inthe hands of the operator, and the labor of handling large sheets-is very considerable' and is rendered more dicult by the heat of the glass. The present invention relieves the operator of the heavy-and somewhat hazardous part of the work. Briely stated,'this isaccomplished by the use of a vacuum fra-me provided with suction means forA engaging the glass before it isv cutfo, and supported from above for lateral movement, so that after the sheet is engaged" by 4the vacuum cups and cnt od, it maybe easily moved forward so as to deposit the 'sheet upon the rack located orwardot1 the machine. Certainleinbodiments of themvention areillustrated in the accompanying Figurel is a side elevation of theapparatus. Fig. 2 is a plan view. Fig. 3 is a rear elevation. Figs. 4 and 5 are enlarged details showing the latching arrangement for holding the vacuum frame in the inclined positionindicated in dotted lines on Fig. 1. Fig.

` 6 is a side elevation of the modification. And

Fig. 7 is a rear elevationof the modification. Y

` VReferring to Figs. 1, 2 andl3, 1, 1 are the upperolls of a drawing machine, suchl as that shown in the Koupal patent heretofore referred to, 2 being the upper end of a continuously informed ribbon, and 3 being a sheet of glass which has just been severed from rack by means of the vacuum frame 8. The

v:frame comprises the side members 9, l0 and the rear member 11, which serves as a handlee all of such members consisting of pipes. The side members-9 andfl() carry the bars 12,12

,at their forwardends and to these bars are pivoted the vacuum cups 13, 13 provided with the usual rubber lips 14, 14: for engaging the sheet. The bars`12, 12 have pivotal connections with the vacuum cups, as indicated at 15, 15, so that the cups may adjust themselves to the glass. Extending transversely of thefdrawing machine and the rack 5 is the track 16 upon which is mounted the trolley 17 for supporting the vacuum frame for movement back and forth from the position of cut oid to a position atjwhich the frame deposits the sheet upon the rack, such latter position being indicated bythe dotted lines in Fig. 1.v rlhe trolley i`s provided with a pair of depending pipes 18, 18 in which telescope the pipes 19, 19, pivotally connected at their lower ends to the bars 12, 12, as indicated at 20. The lower ends of the pipes 18 are split and are-provided with the clamping members 21 for securing the two pipes against relative vertical movement. Provision is made in this way for a vertical adjustment of the position of the vacuum frame. 1n order to prevent the vacuum frame from tilting downward below a substantiallyhorizontal position, the chains 22, 22 are employed, secured at their upper endsto the collars 23, 23 and at theirl lower ends to the pipes 9 and 10.

In order to get the vaciuin frame out of the way when not in use and when it be? Bil comes necessary for the operator t'o approach in various ways, but is preferably done by the use of the means shown in Figs. 4 and 5, including the bracket 23a riveted to the inclined bar 24 which constitutes a part of the framework of the trolley. This bracket is split, as indicated in Fig. 4, and carries the latch 25 normally assuming a vertical position by reason of the Weight of the handle the vacuum frame and move it back to horizontal position, this is accomplished by swinging the handle 26 to the left.

A suction pipe 28 is connected to the upper end of one of the pipes 18, and to the upper end of this pipe'28 a flexible hose 29 is secured leading to the source of exhaust. Another pipe 30 isconected at its forward end to the pipe 19 and leads atits rear end into the three-way valve 31. This three-way valve is in convenient position for actuation by the operator whol controls the application of vacuum to the pipe framework of the vacuum frame consisting of the members 9, 10 and 11.

The exhaust thus applied to the hollow frame is` conducted to the vacuum cups by means of the flexible pipes 32'. Counterweights 12a are provided on the vacuum discs to hold them-in vertical position and facilitate contact with the sheet.

In operation, the workmanstands to the rear of the handle 11 and just before the sheet 3 is cut ofi1 moves the frame forward so that the cups engage the sheet, at the same time opening the valve 31 so that the sheet is secured to the cups. The glass is then severed leaving the sheet suspended, as indicated in Fig. l, the weight of the frame to the rear of the pivots 20 serving tov counterbalance the weight of the glasssheet. The operator then pushes the frame forward until the trolley 17 and the vacuum4 frame reach the position shown in dotted lines and marked B on Fig. 1.

This brings the sheet onto the rack 5, the operator at such time tilting the frame slightly upward, as shown', and at this time, the valve 31 is again operated to release the air pres- .sure in the vacuum frameso that the cups may be detached froln the glass. The frame is then moved back to its original position to the rear. of the line of cut andthe apparatus l'is ready for the next handling operation, the

frame'being maintained at this time in subv Astantially horizontal position by means of the,

chains 22, 22: l c

Figs. 6 and 7 illustrate amodification in which the vacuum frame 33 is supported for swinging movement about the shaft 34 instead of being mounted upon a trolley as in theconstruction of Fig. 1. The frameA in this construction is similar to that of-jF ig. 1, the difference in'the two sets of apparatus consisting in the method of supporting the frame.

Secured to the shaft 34 are a-pair of hollow.

arms 35, in which the upper ends of the bars 36 are clamped. The lower ends of the arms 36 telescope into pipe members 37 lpivoted to the vacuum frame 33.- Each of the arms 35 v is provided with a vhub keyed to thev shaft 34 and mounted for rotation uponthis shaft are weighted so that it will maintain itself in anyvertical position in which it is placed. The shaft 34 is mounted in a pair of suitable hangers 40 and has keyed-to its central portion the a-chain 41 secured at'one endto the periph- '85 pulley 41. This pulley is rotated by means 'of ery of the pulley and-having its other end i wound aroundfthe pulley42 seated. on the framework 43 above the apparatus. The pulley 42 is rotated from .the motor 44 through theintermediary of. suitable worm gearing.

Counterweights 45 mounted upon the arms .l 35 assist in swinging the vacuum frame from the position shown in full lines to the position shown in dottedlines and marked C in Fig. 6. 4

The arms 35 with the vacuum frame carried thereby is normally maintained in the position shown in full lines by means of the chain 41a. When it is desired to carry a sheet of glass from the position of cut off and deposit it upon the rack 45a, the motor 44 isoperated to cause vthe rotation of the pulley 42 .in a counter clockwise direction, thus permitting the chains 41 to move down'so'that the weight of the apparatus, including the' counterweights 45 swings the sheet from the position of c'ut oif toa position over the rack, this movement being, of course, controlled by the operator, who grasps the transverse bar at'the left hand'end of the vacuum frame 33, as in the other construction. The apparatus is moved back to starting position by causing the rotation of the motor and pulley42 in the reverse direction, thus swinging the parts to the left.. If desired, the counterweight arrangement, including the parts 38 and 39 may be omitted and the pipes 37 secured to the lower ends of the bars 35 by means of suitable set screws 46, so that telescopic arrangement in this case merely provides for the vertical adjustment of the vacuum frame with respect to the supporting means thereabove.

-What we claim is: v

1. Apparatus for handlingglass sheets comprising-a movable supporting means, a laterally extending vacuum frame pivotally supported thereon, a-suction cup pivoted to the end of saidframe for engaging the face of a vertical'glass sheet, and counterweight means i for holding the face of the cup in substantial- 1y vertical position. 2. Apparatus for handlingglasssheetscom- Y' 5 prisin'g. a moablesupporting means, a laten.

ally extending Vacuum frame pivotally supported thereon, a suction cup pvoted to the end of said frame for engaging the face of a vertical glass sheet, and means for holding IG the cup yieldingly with its face in substantally a Vertical plane. In't-estimony whereof, We have hereunto subscribed our names.

- `WALTER G. KOUPAL.' 15 JOSEPH H. REDSHA'W i 

